The value of preparing and remaining calm during an emergency

There are generally two kinds of people during an emergency: Those who fall apart, often magnifying the danger at hand for themselves and others, and those who remain calm, moving through high-stress situations methodically, shepherding others through whatever the crisis at hand might be.

Attend any crisis preparedness training, and at some point the instructor is going to talk about the danger of panic — how if lost while hiking, or encountering a wild animal, or, say, facing the threat of nearby wildfire — failing to control this side of the parasympathetic nervous system only serves to make the situation worse, often much worse, sometimes deadly.

This week, as a huge bank of wildfire smoke hovers ominously over our valley and more and more evacuees from Mora and Colfax countries stream into Taos County, would be a good time for all of us to focus on steering clear of the pitfalls of panic, and taking necessary steps to prepare for the likely jump of fire across the county line.

We talked to our county emergency services chief, Chris Medina, about what to do to prepare for possible wildfire in our area — with this mindset toward the calm and orderly, rather than the chaotic.

Here’s his list:

• Be prepared. You don’t want to be scrambling for things at the last minute.

• Have medications together — and extra. If you have medications that need to be refrigerated, have a cooler ready.

• Talk with family members and have a place to go or know where the shelters are.

• Make sure your vehicle is ready to go and that it has gas.

• If you are on oxygen — make sure you have spare tanks and/or if you are on an oxygen concentrator that you can load it and take it with you.

• Have vital documents with you.

• Have phone/device chargers with you. • Have a “go bag” with food and water. We would add that everyone should pitch in to clear out any flammable or dry materials around their homes, and, obviously, don’t burn anything right now. On that last point, it would be helpful if Taos County and the Town of Taos could allow people to dump what they collect, including paint cans and motor oil — free of charge, thus reducing the likelihood of someone striking a match as critical fire weather continues.

Taos has seen fires in the past and is still standing, so everybody take a breath, formulate a plan and be the rock that your neighbors can rely on during these stressful times.